ENDTYMER is the semi-weekly recap, occasional blogspace, and new release round-up column. It hits at the end of (most) every week with the intent of covering notable new releases, sharing news, and musing over various personal listening habits. It is largely informal, might contain opinions, etc. so chill out a bit. I do my best to cover as much of everything I receive in some form regardless of genre or representation, don’t hesitate to send anything and everything my way: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com

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FIVE BEST OF THIS WEEK

[#1] MOTHER OF GRAVES (‘The Periapt of Absence‘, Profound Lore)
[#2] DEATHRITE (‘Flames Licking Fever‘, Into Endless Chaos)
[#3] EXTORTED (‘Cognitive Dissonance‘, Self-Released)
[#4] FÓRN (‘Repercussions of the Self, Persistent Vision)
[#5] DEIVOS (‘Apophenia‘, Selfmadegod)

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UPCOMING RELEASES

Catch up with the latest new release announcements for albums I am likely to cover.

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Australian dissonant death metal band SARCOPHAGUM have announced the release their debut full-length album ‘The Grand Arc of Madness‘ on December 6th this year by way of Nuclear Winter Records. Formed circa 2021 via ex-and-current members of Golgothan Remains to explore new ideas as a studio-only project. Of course this album and the new GR are instant pre-orders, these guys have always been consistent and dark as Hell in every thing they do. Check out the first preview track “Feudal Futures”:

Just a general PSA that SERPENT COLUMN have released a pretty damned brilliant album today (October 19th) digitally with physical copies to follow at a later date. The notes on the record are as such: “An ode to struggle against time, occupying armies, weather, physical limitations, malevolent influences, and social currents. Returning to longer, guitar and riff focused material. Fans of early work, analog-sounding material, and certain FromSoft games may enjoy this the most.” Written and recorded this year this one includes some vocals from H.V. Lyngdal (Wormlust, et al.) I’ve already listened a few times and of course I’ve been a huge fan since day one, great to hear this tonal shift take place in general and I love the extended 11 and 17 minute pieces.

Italian technical death metal band AVTOTHEISM have announced their second LP ‘Reflections of Execrable Stillness‘ will be out on October 25th via Avantgarde Music‘s sub-label Unorthodox Emanations. This album collects a series of pieces written between 2016/2017 and 2022 with the first four being newer while the 17-minute song was composed several years prior. Each half deals with mankind’s relationship with the natural world as well as the concept of God. Pretty interesting record which I’ll likely review next week:

Chicago death metal influenced trio PRIMAL CODE have signed to Relapse Records for the upcoming release of their debut full-length album ‘Opaque Fixation‘ which arrives this coming November 15th. The trio features a modern, hardcore heavy and sludge-grooved form of death metal from vocalist/guitarist Gene Marino, bassist Will Lindsay (ex-Indian), and drummer James Farn. The band describe their intent: “It really started with our obsession with Bolt Thrower and how a lot of bands didn’t have that same vibe. ‘Low-speed whiplash’ was the term that was kicked around at first that we stuck to a lot. Being a three-piece has also really become a big part of what we are aiming for. Less is more, always.” and true to that description it’ll be pretty easy to go with the flow here and the production is fitting for their modern mid-paced USDM/metallic hardcore flavored sound:

Blood Harvest Records have picked up death metal band NOGOTHULA‘s debut album, ‘Telluric Sepsis‘, for broader issue on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape. The tape version will be released on October 25th, the CD on November 29th, and the vinyl on December 13th. The album offers a lot to wrap your head around, as evidenced by my review earlier this year (in April if I recall correctly) when they’d self-released it but they’re using tried and true elements to craft a truly entertaining death metal album. If you haven’t heard it yet get on it:

Polish black metal band DEUS MORTEM have released the first single (“Krwawy Świt”) from their upcoming album ‘Thanatos‘ which will be released on November 15th via Profane Spirit Productions. Vocalist and guitarist Necrosodom comments on the song: ““Krwawy Świt” is the beginning of a story about spiritual transformation, about a thorny path from the deadness of non-existence, towards a higher form of one’s own consciousness. Musically, it balances between the school of Black Metal and the old rock vibe, which in the case of Deus Mortem is quite a bold step and opening the gates to previously unknown areas.” The band are suggesting this will be an evolution of their sound which includes heavy metal and rock influences which allow for different melodic options. I’m pretty damned interested to see what this means when I get my hands on the full album:

San Francisco, California-based heavy metal band THE LORD WEIRD SLOUGH FEG are working with longtime producer/engineer Justin Weis as they track a sequel EP which picks up on the story of ‘Traveller‘ (2003). Of course that is fantastic news, not only is it one of their best but the source material is virtually endless. The EP is set for an early 2025 release via Cruz Del Sur Music. Vocalist and guitarist Mike Scalzi explains: “I wanted to do an EP that was around 20 minutes of music rather than a full-length album. I have struggled with coming up with fresh-sounding music for years. After ten albums, a lot of metal riffs really fall into a rut and I never want to do dull, filler songs to complete albums. So, I just sort of ‘cut off the flab.’ After all, most records have about five good songs (if that) on them, and then a bunch of time-consuming filler—you know, long guitar solos and boring atmospheric doom parts. Spare me. I’ll cut off the flab and give people just the juicy stuff. Hopefully, this EP delivers that: Lean and mean heavy metal without all the fluff.” And I think that bodes pretty well, a good choice even if Slough Feg fans, myself included, would probably be happy for whatever weird things (or “filler”, whatever) creep in around the edges as long as they’re telling interesting stories.

https://www.facebook.com/cruzdelsurmusic

Polish cold wave / shoegaze band KRYSZTAŁ will release their second album ‘Poświaty‘ via Piranha Music this coming November 22nd on both CD and digitally. The first single is “Kwiaty Zła” and of course I don’t know what any of those words mean but I enjoyed the song quite a bit. I’ve had it on repeat for at least an hour:

Olympia, Washington-based heavy metal quartet CHRISTIAN MISTRESS reformed circa 2022 and now they are ready to trip back into reality, signing to Cruz Del Sur Music for album number four which is slated for early 2025. They’re a quartet now (vocalist Christine Davis, guitarist Tim Diedrich, drummer Reuben Storey and second guitarist/bassist Jonny Wulf.) They’re doing the analog 4-track recording via High Command Studio again and I couldn’t be more stoked on this choice. Storey comments: “It felt only natural to get back in that basement and burn up some more iron oxide with the Captain. We are wrapping up album tracking in early October, as we write this. It is CHRISTIAN MISTRESS as we always have been: authentic, raw, ambitious and honest. A group of friends hashing it out in a room together with amps, Tascams, pens and paper. A live band living. The new album picks up right where we left off with To Your Death with more heavy metal sass and new stories to tell.” All of my thumbs are up. Of course we’ll have to wait a bit longer to hear what they’re up to so for now I’ll share a stream to their 2012 LP ‘Possession’ which was when I’d sort of discovered and fell into their realm:

Iron Bonehead Productions have announced December 13th as the release date for black metal band LURING‘s third album, ‘Malevolent Lycanthropic Heresy‘, on CD and vinyl LP. These folks belong to the Order of the Broken Sword circle which includes labelmates Azathoth’s Dream and Wuldorgast. I’m familiar with this bands previous album so based on this preview song I like how they’re developing so far, check out “Dying Wolf Beneath the Stars”:

German subterranean death gloomers NEKUS will return with a new LP this coming November 15th once again via Sentient Ruin. ‘Death Apophenia‘ will release on LP, CD, MC and digitally. It seems like I’ve missed a few of the labels releases lately but I’ve previewed this one and appreciate the dark bestial death and doom they’ve put into their sound once more. Check out “Accursed Murmur” here:

Swiss black metal band PAYSAGE D’HIVER’s third official full-length album ‘Die Berge‘ will release this coming November 8th via Kunsthall Produktionen. It might be the third album but this is the 14th chapter, of this long told journey and they’re suggesting a dire situation in the mountains. The main theme of the album is suggested as “death and this time the enigmatic wanderer’s journey is comparable to that of a Zen monk who hikes to the peak of a mountain on feeling that his time has come.” I always appreciate the nuance available to each of their releases, as daunting as it can be to return to the discography so I am looking forward to this one.

Costa Rican post-doom/atmospheric doom metal quartet AVERSION have announced their debut album ‘Failed Attempts to Reach the Light‘ will release this coming November 15th on Cognitive Discordance Records. The band comment: “The album is a slow meditation on loss, regret and hope. The songs aim to achieve a massive sound, filled with soul-tearing vocals over aggressive and pounding growls. Large melodies that make you feel like you’re in a great, desolate hall, filled with dim lights and a sense of longing.” and they do bring a raw sound which is unique for this type of post-metal inspired sound, keeping it uglier and somewhat organic. Check it out for yourself:

Baltimore-area heavy rock trio MAGICK POTION are readying their killer debut LP ‘Magick Potion‘ for a November 8th release via RidingEasy Records. If you get the ’68-’72 groove of heavy psychedelic rock you’ll get their gig right away, especially fi you’re big on Blue Cheer and earlier Budgie. I was stoked on this one from the second I heard it, check out this single “Never Change”:

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THIS WEEK’S VIDEOS

Catch up with the latest YouTube video review/features and written reviews here. New videos post each week for the most part. You can click on the link provided to read the review/article, each review has the related video embedded in the original post as well. Videos are fairly casual and meant to accompany the written review with some extra context and generalized notes. The written review and the video review are complimentary -not- interchangeable. Please subscribe, share, and leave a comment, etc. if you feel like it.

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NEXT WEEK:

Here is a tentative list of what is coming up next week in terms of reviews. The following records have been listened to extensively, a preliminary review has been drafted (or completed), and I’ve locked them in for coverage. In terms of the “Short Written Reviews + Video” column, these are more tentative, some of them may be cut if I do not have enough time to get around to everything. These choices are subject to change as the final drafts evolve and other releases might potentially take priority:

LONGFORM REVIEWS + VIDEO:

SEDIMENTUM – Derrière les Portes d’une Arcane Transcendante [Oct. 25th, MSuO/Dark Descent]
ATARAXIE – Le Déclin – [October 25th, Ardua Music/Weird Truth Productions]
BÜTCHER – On Fowl of Tyrant Wing [October 25th, Osmose Productions]
LIVING GATE – Suffer As One [October 25th, Relapse Records]
BLACK CURSE – Burning in Celestial Poison [October 25th, Sepulchral Voice]
SHAARIMOTH – Devildom [October 31st, W.T.C. Productions]

SHORT REVIEWS:

AVTOTHEISM – Reflections of Execrable Stillness [October 25th, Unorthodox Emanations]
SERPENT COLUMN – Tassel of Ares [October 19th, Self-Released]
THAW – Falling Backwards [October 25th, Agonia Records]
SPITFIRE – Trinity [October 30th, Witches Brew]
BROWN ACID – The Nineteenth Trip [October 31st, RidingEasy Records]
WIZZERD – Saturnalia [October 25th, Fuzzorama Records]
JULIUS LIND – Lights [October 25th, Kapitän Platte]
ACID ROOSTER – Hall of Mirrors [October 25th, Cardinal Fuzz/Tonzonen, Little Cloud]

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